The :invalid
CSS pseudo-class represents any <input>
or other <form>
element whose contents fail to validate.
/* Selects any invalid <input> */ input:invalid { background-color: pink; }
This pseudo-class is useful for highlighting field errors for the user.
Syntax
:invalid
Example
This example presents a simple form that colors elements green when they validate and red when they don't.
HTML
<form> <label for="url_input">Enter a URL:</label> <input type="url" id="url_input" /> <br /> <br /> <label for="email_input">Enter an email address:</label> <input type="email" id="email_input" required/> </form>
CSS
input:invalid { background-color: #ffdddd; } form:invalid { border: 5px solid #ffdddd; } input:valid { background-color: #ddffdd; } form:valid { border: 5px solid #ddffdd; } input:required { border-color: #800000; border-width: 3px; } input:required:invalid { border-color: #C00000; }
Result
Accessibility concerns
The color red is commonly used to indicate invalid input. People who have certain types of color blindness will be unable to determine the input's state unless it is accompanied by an additional indicator that does not rely on color to convey meaning. Typically, descriptive text and/or an icon are used.
- MDN Understanding WCAG, Guideline 1.4 explanations
- Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.1 | W3C Understanding WCAG 2.0
Notes
Radio buttons
If any one of the radio buttons in a group is required
, the :invalid
pseudo-class is applied to all of them if none of the buttons in the group is selected. (Grouped radio buttons share the same value for their name
attribute.)
Gecko defaults
By default, Gecko does not apply a style to the :invalid
pseudo-class. However, it does apply a style (a red "glow" using the box-shadow
property) to the :-moz-ui-invalid
pseudo-class, which applies in a subset of cases for :invalid
.
You can disable the glow using the following CSS, or completely override it to alter the appearance of invalid fields:
:invalid { box-shadow: none; } :-moz-submit-invalid { box-shadow: none; } :-moz-ui-invalid { box-shadow: none; }
Specifications
Specification | Status | Comment |
---|---|---|
HTML Living Standard The definition of ':invalid' in that specification. |
Living Standard | No change. |
HTML5 The definition of ':invalid' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Defines the semantics of HTML and constraint validation. |
Selectors Level 4 The definition of ':invalid' in that specification. |
Working Draft | Initial definition. |
Browser compatibility
Desktop | Mobile | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic support | Chrome Full support 10 | Edge Full support 12 | Firefox Full support 4 | IE Full support 10 | Opera Full support 10 | Safari Full support 5 | WebView Android ? | Chrome Android ? | Edge Mobile Full support Yes | Firefox Android Full support 4 | Opera Android Full support 10 | Safari iOS Full support 5 | Samsung Internet Android ? |
Applies to <form> elements | Chrome Full support Yes | Edge No support No | Firefox Full support 13 | IE No support No | Opera Full support Yes | Safari ? | WebView Android ? | Chrome Android ? | Edge Mobile No support No | Firefox Android Full support 14 | Opera Android ? | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android ? |
Legend
- Full support
- Full support
- No support
- No support
- Compatibility unknown
- Compatibility unknown
See also
- Other validation-related pseudo-classes:
:required
,:optional
,:valid
- Related Mozilla pseudo-classes:
:-moz-ui-invalid
,:-moz-submit-invalid
- Form data validation